Still Frames of the Soul
by AutumnMoonGypsy
Summary: M just to be safe. When Gaara starts to feel left behind as his friends and family move on with their lives he realizes that it may be time for a vacation...only it's not exactly what he expects as Naruto gives him a scroll that sends him to...New Jersey?
1. Chapter 1: What the

**Author's Note: It's my first story on here so…let me know what you think. Just keep in mind one thing. It's not going to always be plausible or realistic. It's a story and it's meant to be fun and enjoyable.**

Chapter 1: What the…

"Heh…you need a vacation!" the ever loud blonde said to the Kazekage as said person sat behind a desk filling out paperwork as usual.

"I don't have the time, Naruto. Neither do you. Why are you even here?" Gaara asked looking up from his work to his friend who sat in front of him in the traditional robes of the Hokage, "Last time we spoke you had that mountain of paperwork to finish that Tsunade left you."

"That can wait." Naruto said brushing it off and sat back with the large goofy grin he was famous for, "This is too much to pass up!"

"What is?" the Kazekage asked and stared out at his ally allowing confusion to show on his usually cool face.

"I have big news." The Hokage stated smiling and Gaara leveled his stare to one of annoyance at the blonde, "HUGE news."

"What is it, Naruto?" he asked once again and Naruto's smile widened before he told Gaara the news.

* * *

Later that night the red haired Kazekage stood staring out at his village thinking about all that had happened in the last decade. A lot had. Not surprising given the short lives that ninja usually led but it was still awe inducing when one stopped to actually think about it.

"Kazekage-sama?" an old familiar voice called, pulling him out of his thoughts and he turned to see his old sensei kneeling before him.

"Hm? What is it Baki?"

"You seemed out of character today at the meeting. You barely paid any attention."

Gaara nodded slowly and looked back out at the village as he thought of an answer. He wasn't sure why Naruto's news was bothering him. He really was happy for Naruto and Hinata. Naruto had been working up the courage to propose to her for some time and it made Gaara glad that she said yes. He never really doubted that she would after seeing how she looked at the blonde but it still pleased him. There was no real reason that it should bother him.

"I'm just tired I guess." He finally stated, "The past ten years have been…tiring."

"It still shocks me to hear you say you are tired, Gaara-sama, but you are right. Even though the war ended three years ago it's still been very tiring for us all. Your leadership has returned Suna to peace and she has prospered." Baki stated and looked at his former student, knowing very well what was bothering him.

Gaara was lonely. His brother was now married and expecting his second son and Temari had transferred to Konoha to be with her husband and was the proud mother of two girls. The Kazekage had never been interested in that kind of relationship instead preferring to focus on the village and the villagers, but now it seemed he was starting to wonder about it. Baki knew that Gaara, even though he was loved by all the villagers, was still very much alone. His whole 22 years of life had brought him power, prestige, respect, and wealth but it did not bring him the one thing he had craved his entire life: Love. Baki had watched Gaara spend the past few years working endlessly as his family and friends went off and had families of their own. He was an uncle and a godfather many times over but what the Kazekage really wanted was a family of his own…he just didn't know that yet.

"Maybe it's time for a vacation…like Naruto said." Gaara stated as he stared out at the village.

"You do deserve one, Kazekage-sama." Baki stated and Gaara nodded.

"I could leave you in charge for a short while and rest. I need to rest." The red head stated before sighing and shaking his head, "Impossible. There is too much work to be done. A vacation will have to wait until after the paperwork at least.

Baki could only nod as he watched his leader return inside and hope that what Naruto gave him would help Gaara.

The next morning as Gaara sat filling out his usual paperwork he came across a scroll he didn't recognize. He would have been wary of it but it had the Konoha seal on it so he had no worries. He quickly signed off on something before he set down his pen and opened the scroll.

Baki ran into the office at the familiar sound and saw that Gaara's chair was empty with the scroll that Naruto had left missing from the pile of papers. He looked down at the last thing Gaara had signed and saw it was a statement concerning a much needed vacation and who was to be in charge while he was away. Maybe Gaara knew what the scroll did after all but one thing was for sure. Baki had no idea where Gaara went or when he'd be back, but he knew that Gaara needed this and could only hope that it would make their young Kazekage feel better afterwards.

* * *

She sat on the rock silently while she watched the small family of foxes sniff around beneath her. Mika Manixpy knew that they would come out eventually if she sat there long enough for them to understand that she meant them no harm. She slowly reached for her camera and stopped when one of the kits looked at her and only resumed her movement when the little one went back to wrestling his brother. A lock of her dark red hair fell into her amber eyes as she brought the camera up and focused it on the small family.

A few pictures later the family disappeared into the forest once more and the young woman stood up and stretched listening to her body creak and crack back into place. She jumped down off the rock after picking up her messenger bag and slinging it over her shoulder. Mika carried her camera with her as she walked back to the trail, just in case something caught her eye, looking down at the ground while she walked as always. Her worn hiking boots met the path as she pushed a black dyed lock of her straight hair behind her ear and breathed in deep.

She loved the smell of autumn. The crisp scent of the leaves and the slight chill that was on the very edge of each breath filled her with a sense of exactly what nature was. Mika had always been able to find nature wherever she went, even if she was in a big city, but she always felt more at one with the world when she was out by herself with no buildings in sight. It marveled her that she felt so alone when surrounded by multitudes of people and yet felt completely and wholly at peace when she was out by herself in the woods or walking the shore.

Then again she was an only child and was used to it. Solitude was where Mika felt at home. She had always gotten on better alone anyway. She had a few close friends and found that was all she really needed.

She fixed her brown sweater and smoothed it down over the top of her dark blue jeans as she walked along the path enjoying the many noises of her surroundings. Many people would say it was eerily silent but not her. She heard the sound underneath that silence. The trees creaking in the autumn breeze, the breeze itself as it flowed and twisted around the trunks of trees, the sound of the leaves being picked up in it as it twisted them up into the air, and the sound of the leaves crunching as someone walked on them.

That sound alone made her stop and listen more closely. No one usually came out this far back into the trails this late in the day except her. This was usually her own private haven. Mika turned towards the sound and saw someone walking down the hill towards her.

It was a young red haired man in his twenties wearing what looked to be a big white sheet wrapped around him. As he got closer she saw that the sheet was really a robe of some kind. When she looked up at his face she was caught off guard by the heavy black rings around his eyes, which were a quite lovely shade of sea foam green, and what looked like a tattoo on his forehead of the kanji for love. Something picked at the back of her mind about that as he got closer to her and she knew he saw her.

"Where am I?" he asked her suddenly as he got within speaking distance and she looked him over some more since his question confused her, "Where…am…I?"

* * *

Gaara had opened the scroll only to realize what it was much too late. One second he was opening it, the next he recognized what the seals were, and then the next one after that he was sitting in the middle of some wooded area on a tree stump. His first reaction was to look around much like a confused child. He didn't recognize anything about this place, nothing at all, and he knew then he had never been there before.

After collecting himself he realized that he still had the scroll and there was something written on the outside of it:

_Gaara, _

_I know you'll be pissed once you see this but you won't be able to do anything about it so here's an explanation._

_Everyone thinks you need a vacation from everything so I came up with a way to give you one. This scroll is supposed to send you somewhere where you can find what you need. Since it's probably just a nice long nap you'll probably end up in a resort village or something. The scroll will take you back to Suna once you're ready but not until after you've found what you need. It will know._

_So, enjoy your vacation and don't worry. I set this all up so Baki will handle everything until you return. Don't worry we won't have the wedding until after you return. On that note: Find yourself a girlfriend or something…live a little. Have fun!_

_~Uzumaki Naruto _

The Kazekage's first reaction was exactly as Naruto predicted: he was pissed at the subterfuge Naruto had played. His second reaction was one of defeated acceptance. He couldn't go anywhere until he found what he needed apparently but Naruto was very wrong in thinking he would be sent to some resort village.

As he sat and looked around he had to admit that it was very peaceful out here. Something about it made him feel at ease. He would have sat there longer had it not been for the chill that the breeze brought. Gaara was dressed for Suna's climate which was a bit warmer than the one here. Underneath his robes that day he wore a black long sleeved shirt with a high collar, but the collar was open and the shirt was very light. He would have to find shelter if he was to survive.

While he was considering what do to he heard the familiar sound of foot prints. They were light, so light he barely heard them but he could tell by the steps that it was a woman and she was alone and didn't know he was there. He barely made any sound at all as he moved and was surprised to see her looking back at him as he drew closer. She had heard his footsteps. After getting over that shock he was hit by another. This dark haired young woman was dressed in clothes he had never seen before and was just altogether strangely outfitted.

Her brown sweater was normal enough he supposed and appropriate for the chill weather with its high neck, but her pants were somewhat strange to him. They were a deep blue color and made out of some kind of heavy material. She was carrying a green bag over one shoulder while she held onto what looked like a camera in her other hand. Gaara looked her over some more as he got closer and saw that her dark hair was actually a very dark red in color with thick black streaks running through it. She was wearing it up, except for a few pieces, which were loose since they were most likely too short to be caught with the rest of her hair, and her bangs which framed her face a bit. Her eyes were a light amber color that gave her a kind of feral wolfish look. He noticed she was examining him in much the same way he was her as he walked up and it dawned on him that wherever he was it was he who was out of place.

"Where am I?" Was the first thing out of his mouth as he looked at her face and decided at that moment, much to his own surprise, that she was actually rather attractive.

Something about her gave off a sense of intrigue and mystery that he found very appealing. She looked as if she belonged there on that path. This woman seemed so at one with the surrounding forest that Gaara wouldn't have been surprised if she turned into a tree at that moment. Well he would have been a little surprised but not extremely. Her whole face gave off a sense of the nature around them. From her slightly large ears to her straight yet slightly curved nose to her deep pink lips.

"Where…am…I?" he asked again, more slowly although he knew she heard him, she was just apparently confused by his question.

"New Jersey." She stated and Gaara felt at that moment that he had lost his mind.

**Author's Note:** **So yeah…that's the first chapter. Going with a different approach to the whole getting sent to a different dimension thing. Like: Instead of girl getting sent to Naruto Universe…what if one of them was sent to "OUR" universe? Or that was the idea.**


	2. Chapter 2: New Jersey?  WalMart?

**Author's Note: Here's the next chapter. Longer than the last. I hope you like it. **

Chapter 2: New Jersey? Wal-Mart?

Where the hell was _New Jersey_? He'd never even _heard_ of let alone knew _where_ that was. His mind was racing with a billion things as she looked at him as if he was insane. He couldn't help but think of how he would find what he needed to get back home if he had no idea where the hell he was and what chaos was being caused by this and a whole mess of other things. It all stopped when he noticed the shift in her eyes. They went from thinking he was crazy to slight worry.

"You're not from around here are you?" she asked and he shook his head as he spoke.

"No. I'm from a village called Sunagakure." He stated and she raised an eyebrow at him making him think, "_Maybe she knows how to get back…_"

"Never heard of it. How did you get here?" she asked and he looked at her as he stood in front of her and realized that he was taller than her which only caused him to wonder about why he cared enough to notice that.

"A friend decided to play a trick on me and he sent me here with a reverse summoning scroll that was supposed to send me on vacation." He stated flatly and she laughed briefly, her eyes shining with amusement.

"He sent you to the middle of a forest in fall to someplace you've never heard of…_wow_. What are you on a vacation _from_ that he would do that?"

"Being the Kazekage of the village." He stated and looked around at the surrounding area while wondering why he found talking to her so easy.

"What's that?" she asked and he could tell she really meant it, she had no idea what that meant.

"I'm the ruler of the village." He answered and felt the breeze brush past him chilling him a bit and she noticed it.

"Um…I'm Mika, Mika Manixpy by the way." She stated and held out a hand smiling and he slightly smiled back at her, deciding that it was best to be on friendly terms with this woman, as he grasped her hand and found she had quite a firm grip.

"Gaara. Sabaku no Gaara." He said and she smiled more and nodded as their hands separated and she ran a hand through her hair.

"I don't usually say this to guys I just meet randomly but you seem very lost and out of place here, and I doubt you have any money, so…do you need a place to stay 'til you find a way back to your home?" she asked and he stared at her, confused and rather shocked at her generosity, before nodding his head slowly, "Ok then Mr. Sabaku I would suggest we get moving. It's a bit of a walk out of this section of the trails. I hope you have some good walking shoes. I am _not_ carrying you."

He smirked and chuckled at that. This Mika was rather amusing.

"I'm quite capable of walking the whole way, Mika-san." He stated and she looked at him.

"_Mika_. No Japanese honorifics if you please, Gaara." She said kindly and he nodded smiling slightly; he could happily go without being called Gaara-sama constantly.

That and he was finding himself at ease around this woman. He wasn't sure why but her presence soothed him. Maybe because he was in a strange place and it was comforting to find someone willing to help him but he couldn't deny that she had a very soothing presence. He felt the goose bumps rise on his skin as the breeze wrapped around him and saw Mika look at him with a bit of concern until she began digging though her bag. She pulled out what looked like a black hooded sweater and handed it too him.

"This should be better than that…I'm going to call it a robe." She said and he nodded pulling the robe off and handing it to her to tuck into her bag.

Once he had pulled on the black sweater he instantly felt much better and sighed at the sudden comforting warmth.

"I guess you're just lucky I bought that sweatshirt a few sizes too big." She said and laughed a little before starting to walk and he followed.

* * *

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* * *

Mika wasn't sure of where this man came from but she could tell that he was telling her the honest truth. She felt comfortable around him but she still surprised herself when she asked if he needed a place to stay. Under any normal circumstances she never would have asked such a thing.

Mika wasn't very trusting of strangers out of habit but she found that she trusted this man named Gaara. He kind of felt like an old friend she hadn't seen in a while.

As she walked beside him she could sense that he was strong and powerful but that he felt a little awkward. It faded as time went on and Mika realized he just needed some time to adjust to his new surroundings. Considering that he came from someplace she had never even heard of she guessed that there must be a lot of differences between New Jersey and…Sunagakure.

Something caught her attention off in the forest and she stopped walking which made him stop as well. He looked at her until he noticed something moving off in the woods and he looked at it. Mika pulled off her bag and held it out to him to hold and he took it and watched her walk towards a tree after slinging her camera around her shoulder.

* * *

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* * *

Gaara watched with a mild fascination as the young woman caught a branch and pulled herself up the tree branch by branch. He continued to watch as the wolf eyed woman walked along a thick bough until she was directly over her quarry: a small group of deer that included a heavily antlered male. It fascinated him at how slowly she moved as to not scare them as she took a few pictures before climbing back down to the last branch.

"I always hated getting down from the last branch. Here hold my camera." She stated and handed the camera down to him and motioned for him to move and she hopped down and landed very gracefully.

They continued walking after that and soon Gaara felt his stomach begin telling him to eat. Mika was either hungry too or sensed this since she led him off the path a bit to a big rock to sit down. She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a couple sandwiches.

"I hope you like turkey. Here." She said and handed him a sandwich and a bottle of water.

"Thank you." He said as he accepted the food gratefully and ate.

After a few minutes of silent eating she spoke.

"So, Gaara, tell me more about yourself and this place you come from. What's it like?" she asked and he considered his answer carefully.

"I'm a shinobi, a ninja," he stated and paused for a reaction only to see the dark haired young woman believed him which encouraged him to try to explain what his village was and what his world was like, "That's as much as I can tell you."

"Why? Afraid I'll run and tell someone about it?" she asked as a joke and he shrugged.

"You can never be too careful." He said and drank some water as he looked at her and Mika smirked at him before chuckling a little.

"I suppose that means I should just leave you stranded out in the middle of the woods instead of letting you into my house." She said and Gaara flattened his stare at her.

"I'm not sure I understand." He said and she shrugged.

"You can never be too careful. How do I know you're not some psycho killer that's gonna murder me in my sleep?" she asked gesturing towards him with her water bottle and he took another sip of water before speaking.

"If I was going to kill you I would have done it by now." The red haired shinobi said and she shook her head, "You don't believe me?"

"It's not that I don't believe you it's that I know you're not that stupid. Without _me_ you'd be stuck in this forest. _I_ know the way out. _You_ don't." She stated and the Kazekage had to give her that one.

"True, but I'm not going to kill you unless you give me a good reason to, Mika." He stated seriously and she nodded slowly as she chewed her food, "I've killed people, lots and lots of people, but as long as you don't give me a reason, you won't be one of them."

"Well that's good to know." Mika stated, not in the least intimidated or scared of him this lead him to question her sanity until she spoke, "I'm not afraid of you because my gut, my instincts, tell me that you are an honest, at times even blunt, good man that _won't_ kill me. From what little, yes little I did catch all that vagueness in your description of your world, well from what you told me it's fairly clear that your way of life requires you to do that. You do what you have to in order to survive. I understand that and live by that. Now, if you're done and want to get out of here before nightfall I'd suggest we get moving."

Gaara nodded, both to acknowledge he was done as well as accept what she said as true, and they got up. Mika was a very accepting person and, surprisingly, he found it very easy to talk to her since he had some instinct telling him that he should and to not worry since she wasn't going to judge him. The rest of the way out they talked occasionally, mostly Mika answering various questions about this place called New Jersey, and she took pictures of different things.

"So New Jersey is a state within your country and there are 50 states?" he asked, mostly to make sure he was getting it right in his head and she nodded, "Why is it _new_?"

"There's an island off the coast of England, which is another country across the ocean, called Jersey. When they colonized America, the settlers named this area New Jersey after 'Old Jersey'. Sort of." She answered patiently although Gaara could sense that he may be asking too many questions at this time which caused him to come to the decision that he'd stop for now and they continued on in silence for a bit.

* * *

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* * *

At one point after she came back from a short trek into the woods she saw Gaara perched on a large rock waiting for her to come back. He was looking out at the meadow before him with a very serene look on his face that spoke to her in a way that humans normally didn't. Mika couldn't help but take a few pictures of him before disturbing him.

"How did you get up there?" she found herself asking and he looked down at her and jumped down, landing with ease before her.

"I'm a shinobi. It's part of my training." He said then elaborated since he understood she might not initially understand and she smiled and nodded before they continued.

* * *

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* * *

After a short while they made it out to the parking area. She had to explain to him about cars after learning there weren't any where he was from. A lot of things seemed to be different there. Regardless Mika found that she enjoyed Gaara's company very much. He listened when she spoke and generally had a very calm presence. She unlocked her car and got him into it and climbed in her self.

As she sat down she looked at him and reached across him to buckle him in. It made him feel a bit ridiculous that he needed her to look out for him like that but he repressed it before she noticed and watched her buckle herself in before starting the car. It fascinated him a bit but he soon fell into conversation with her, something that shocked him and he told her so.

"I usually don't talk to people this much…unless I have to." Gaara admitted and looked at her as she nodded.

"I'm pretty much the same way. I have a small set of friends and that's about it." Mika stated and he found that he wanted to know more about her.

"What about you? I told you about me so tell me about you." He stated and she nodded.

"Well, I'm just about to turn 22. I was born and raised in New Jersey, here, and I'm an only child so I don't have any siblings like you do. Like you however both my parents are no longer with me, they died two years ago in an accident." Mika said and he saw her amber eyes cloud over a bit with sadness.

"I'm sorry." Gaara stated seriously and she nodded.

"Thank you. Anyway, I work as a freelance photographer. I don't work for anyone specific. I get commissioned by various people to go out and photograph something that they specify or I take random photos and see who wants to buy them. It's my hobby as well as my career at the moment. I also go to college a few times a week. I'm working towards an actual degree in photo journalism." She said and he nodded, "I live in a two bedroom house not far from here."

"Two bedroom?" He asked, wondering if she had a roommate or something.

"Yeah but I live with my two dogs. My ex used to live there but he left. It's a very sore subject. Umm…my dogs are Siberian Huskie and Grey Wolf mixes. They look very much like wolves except the male has blue eyes. They're also very pack oriented so you're gonna have to establish dominance over them if you want your stay to remain peaceful. The male's name is Mohegan by the way. He's gonna be the one with the mostly black coat. He's really a big baby once you get past the dominance thing. The female's name is Kisinaa. She's the light grey and white one with the mixed eyes. She's a sweetie once you get past the dominance thing." Mika explained and Gaara nodded then looked at her as they reached a stop light.

"What am I going to wear?" he asked and she looked at him.

"We're going to the store before home. Wal-Mart has _everything_. We'll get you some clothes there since I have to go food shopping anyway." Gaara's host stated and he looked at her slightly bothered by something, "What?"

"It's not very fair that you spend all your money on me. I feel a bit guilty." He admitted and she shook her head.

"Don't; it's a necessity that you get some clothes. I don't think you'd look very good in mine or that they'd fit you." She said and he chuckled a bit at the humor in the statement as the car turned the corner, "People might stare at you when we're in the store because of the whole eye thing. Maybe not but you never know."

"I'm used to that, but…what's a Wal-Mart?" he asked and she smiled a bit, amused at his almost childlike curiosity and cluelessness.

"You'll see. It's much easier than trying to explain it."

* * *

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* * *

He nodded as he stared out the window of the car and saw a few houses alongside the road. They were different from what he was used to but they looked like good homes. He looked past them at the hills that pushed up in the distance and was slightly mesmerized by the colors the autumn trees produced. This place was like none he had ever seen before.

"Towns here are more spread out than your village. We'll be in the more built up section in a minute or two." Mika stated as they passed through a tunnel, "Most of this county is farmland."

Gaara nodded as he watched the town spring up around them then die back down as they entered a heavily trafficked area. He saw a large building that he assumed was what Mika called a Wal-Mart since it had a big sign saying so and she pulled into it. She parked the car and unbuckled herself and he did as well after watching how she did it. She grabbed a few things out of her bag before shoving them in her pockets and got out of the car.

Mika walked inside the store and grabbed a cart as she watched him look around calmly, or at least he looked calm, examining things as he did.

Gaara as usual kept his calm façade up all the while thinking that this store was indescribable. It was huge. Many times bigger than any store he had ever heard off let alone seen. People were bustling around all over, and as expected a few of them stared a second or two before moving on. Looking around he saw signs hanging from the ceiling that pointed out where even more items lie. He felt slightly overwhelmed by all of this and yet amazed as well. Mika had stated that this place had everything and he was seriously starting to believe her. He had had his doubts earlier understandably, but those were long gone now.

Gaara continued examining things for awhile until she walked back up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. The shinobi looked down at her as she looked up at him as if saying relax and he did nodding as they walked off towards the clothing section. It was going to take a while he realized since he didn't understand the sizes.

"Stay here, I'll be right back." She said after a few minutes and returned a bit later with a tape measurer, "Raise your arms."

He did and she measured his waist, chest, legs, and determined what his size should be. Gaara was finding that she fascinated him and that in some strange way he was enjoying her fretting over him. He followed her silently, still absorbing all this new information, as she handed things to him and went off into the dressing room when she told him.

She waited for him to come back out and smiled at him when he returned with what fit him and added them to the cart. After they got him fixed with clothes they walked into the food section of the store and Gaara followed her around as she got what food she would need. He was mostly silent, staring at different items and puzzling at the names on different foods.

"_Pringles…ok…they look like potato chips. Coca Cola…soda…ok…_" he thought while looking around until he heard her addressing him.

"Hm?" he asked since he wasn't sure what she just asked.

"What would you like for dinner?" Mika asked him and he shrugged, "Come on you have to have an opinion."

"Whatever you make will be fine I'm sure." He stated and she smiled and rolled her eyes as she nodded and got some food for their dinner before stopping and looking out into the store, "What is it?"

"I forgot to get something from the pets section. I'll be right back." She said and took off at a fast trot into the store and returned sometime later with a bag of dog treats, "They don't usually get these but it might make your introduction go a little smoother. No, don't close!"

She ran over to the butcher area before he closed and Gaara found himself pushing the cart over to her. He listened quietly as she talked to the group of men behind the counter. Apparently Mika knew them and they knew what she was asking for.

"Here you go Mika." The younger one said and handed her a pack of bones, "Saved 'em just for you."

"Thanks Tim." She said and took the pack and set it in the cart, "Ki and Mo will be very grateful."

The older man nodded and smiled before he remembered something and came back with a big box of wrapped meat. Mika looked at him strangely until he unwrapped one and showed it to her. The smile on her face perfectly displayed her delight as she spoke.

"I thought you didn't have any more venison, Randell." She said and took the box and Gaara set it in the cart for her.

"I was saving it for you and the pups and it kinda slipped my mind." The man stated as he cleaned off his hands with a rag, "Whose your friend?"

"Oh! Sorry guys. This is Gaara; he's an old friend of mine from way back. He's in between houses at the moment so he's staying with me. Gaara this is Tim and Randell." She said and the men nodded to each other, "And Mo and Ki aren't pups anymore."

"They'll always be little fuzzballs to me, Mika. I remember the day you brought Mohegan into the PetSmart only to have them kick you out." The one called Randell stated as the other, Tim, went to start closing up.

"Thank God you were there to help with that." Mika laughed and Randell nodded, "Well, we gotta get back to shopping so I can get home and cook dinner before my show starts."

They bid each other farewell and Gaara found himself asking a question that popped into his mind as they searched for ice cream.

"What is a PetSmart and why did they kick you out of it?"

"Huh? Oh a PetSmart is a store that is dedicated to pet supplies and pets. They sell all types of food, toys, care products, and are supposed to be able to help you take better care of your pet. They kicked me and Mo out because…well…people don't really like wolves here. They're afraid of them and Mohegan always looked a lot like a wolf even when he was a puppy. They kicked me out because they were convinced he'd try to eat the little dogs in the store or something." She said and shook her head and shrugged, "He only wanted to play with them. It pissed me off to see how they treated him so I haven't been back to a PetSmart since. Randell was there with his Huskie and helped me out a lot with Mohegan and then Kisinaa when I got her too."

Gaara nodded as he listened to her ramble about different things until they were done and checked out. He helped her load her car and got back in the car, buckling himself in much to her own surprise. Gaara apparently learned fast.

**Author's Note: Yep, Wal-Mart. And I have a weakness for wolf/dog hybrids. In a way I suppose Mika is a lot like a very, very laid back Kiba…sort of.**


	3. Chapter 3: Sit Stay Okay

**Author's Note: Time to meet the puppies…although they're not puppies technically. Anyway here's chapter 3 for you and remember: It's a story that's supposed to be read for FUN not actual, 100% correct encyclopedia facts.**

Chapter 3: Sit. Stay. Okay.

"Alright. I'm going to open this door and the first thing you must do is walk through the door ahead of me. For your own safety I'm giving you alpha status slightly above mine." Mika explained as she looked up at her red haired guest and he nodded slowly, "Kisinaa will key in on it immediately but Mohegan may take a little longer. The best thing you can do is to try and give him a sit command in the most commanding tone you can manage."

"Understood." He said although he really didn't understand how going in before she did would do anything.

Mika unlocked the door and opened it to reveal two dogs sitting in front of it waiting patiently. The one she had identified as Kisinaa was sitting rather demurely, if one could say that about a dog, while she looked up at Gaara with mismatched eyes. Her left one was blue while the right was brown. She was mostly covered in a very light grey coat with markings much like the Inuzuka clan leader's dog and a white face. The other dog, which Gaara knew must be Mohegan stared back at him with piercing blue eyes out of a dark coated face. When Gaara managed to look away from his eyes he noticed that the animal was mostly covered in black but had a small tuft of white hair on his chest to his stomach as well as some reddish brown hairs mixed in with the black.

As Gaara stepped through the front door before Mika he noticed a shift in Kisinaa's head while Mohegan's tilted to the side confusedly. The black animal gazed back Mika as she entered then back at Gaara as he stood up to walk over to what he was accustomed to being the alpha. Gaara glanced at his hostess who nodded to him very slightly.

"Mohegan." Gaara started and the dog stared at him with a very casual 'What do you want?' look before Gaara spoke again, "Sit."

The dog looked up at him in an amused and defiant way and blinked. The Kazekage half expected this animal to just burst out laughing at him by the look on its face. Gaara had never been one to be laughed at in any sense. Even when Naruto did so it still annoyed the Kazekage to no end. As such Gaara was not about to let a dog win in a test of dominance.

Mika stood behind Gaara and observed everything that was going on. As expected Kisinaa keyed onto Gaara being an alpha immediately and assumed a stance that displayed that. Unfortunately Mohegan was also acting as expected. However, instead of having to intervene as she expected she'd have to do Mika watched the staring match that began between Mohegan and Gaara with a fascination.

Gaara's whole presence shifted in an instant and she realized something. She never had to _make _him an alpha, he already _was _one. She could also tell he didn't appreciate Mohegan's amusement at that given moment and was determined to make the animal understand that _he_ was the alpha regardless of whether or not Mohegan liked it. All she could hope for was that it didn't end violently, although her instincts doubted that it would.

The staring match continued on until Gaara adjusted the look in his eyes to the one he used while addressing his shinobi. That was so much more intense in dominance that even Mika felt the need to sit when he gave the command again. Instead she watched with even more fascination as Mohegan sat down obediently, albeit slowly as if struggling with the instinct to defer to the Alpha, and Gaara gave a stay command before turning to look at Mika.

"Very good. Time to put the groceries away." She stated and was rather surprised as Gaara went about helping her do so.

As soon as all the groceries were put away Mika released the stay command, or tried to, Mohegan wouldn't budge and she realized that he would only move if Gaara released it. She wasn't _sure_ of why but she didn't believe it was because Mohegan had submitted and given up. Mika knew her wolfdog much better than that.

"Gaara, I need you to release the command." She called into the kitchen and watched as he came out and Kisinaa moved out of his way.

Kisinaa she wasn't surprised about really. She was always been a strict beta in pack structure from the beginning. Moving out of the newly established alpha was her way of showing that. Mohegan was a beta as well, just a stubborn one.

Gaara released the command from earlier and watched as the two went about their business after Mika nodded to them and spoke to him.

"This is actually going along a lot better than I originally anticipated. I'm surprised but I know it's not over yet," she stated and saw a questioning look, "Mohegan…is stubborn to put it bluntly. He's submitted for now but most likely you're on some kind of probationary status in his mind. Don't be surprised if he tests your dominance again at some later point."

"I think I understand." Gaara stated and she nodded.

"I'll show you the house now. The Nickel Tour so to speak." She stated and he nodded as she gestured for him come along which he did and they entered the living area, "This is the living room. I have lots of pictures of my family, my few friends, as well as other things."

He looked around and saw that he was correct. The walls and shelves were lined with various photographs of people, places, and other photographs he assumed where some of her work. There was a stone fireplace against the side wall as well as a few large cushioned chairs and a couch. A TV was situated against the back wall and there were a number of book cases filled with books of all kinds. There were also two large pillows on the floor as well. Kisinaa was laying down on one and picked her head up to look at them as they walked in. The animal watched as they continued through the living room down a hall.

"This is my work room." Mika stated pointing to a door as they passed it which continued as they went; she'd point to a door as they passed it and name what it lead to, "This is the guest bathroom. That is the laundry room, Mohegan likes to sit in there and stare out the window for some reason. It's like he's watching the driveway for an invading army or something by the look on his face sometimes. That door leads to the basement. The door across from it is a linen closet. This is the guest room, your room."

She opened the door and they walked in. It was an averagely sized room painted a light sand color. There was a dresser in the corner that was covered by a white sheet which she removed and set down the clothes they bought him in front of it. The bed was an average full sized bed made up with comforters and sheets with an extra one folded up at the end of the bed. A night stand with a lamp was situated on both sides of the bed. In the corner stood an old looking book case with various titles on it with a chair situated off to its side with another end table and lamp. There was a door situated next to this as well as another one across the room from it.

"My room is across the hall if you need anything. There's also a small closet over there." She said and pointed to the door next to the bookcase, "Um…feel free to make yourself comfortable and shower. The other door in here connects to the guest bathroom. It's a strange set up in my mind but it was like that when I moved here. So…I'm going to go start dinner. Any questions?"

"Why are you doing this?" Gaara asked and she looked at him questioningly, "You do not know me and yet you have taken me into your house. I am a stranger to you and truthfully I could kill you at any time if I wanted to."

"But you won't." she answered and he stared at her.

"How do you know that? How do you know I won't snap and kill you right here and right now?" he asked as he walked closer to her noticing she had no fear of him, she was just exasperated at his timing.

"Just a gut feeling that I have…as I've already stated _as well_ as that you said earlier you wouldn't kill me unless I gave you a good reason. And as far as I know I haven't given you a good reason to do that."

"How do you know I didn't lie?" he asked and she raised an eyebrow at him.

"I've been around a lot of liars in my life, world is filled with them, and I can tell that _you_ are not the type of person that believes in lying." She said and he nodded as he looked down at her and she smiled pleasantly at him, "So like I said, I'm going to go make us some dinner. You don't need to feel like you must dress special for dinner. It is a completely informal thing with me. Most likely I'm going to go shower and change into a pair of PJ pants and a big T shirt. Feel free to do the same."

With that she left and closed the door behind her leaving Gaara by himself in the room slightly dumbfounded. After a while of looking around "his" room and doing what he considered made sense in putting the stuff they bought away he decided to take her up on her offer to shower as he heard the water running from her room. After he was done he toweled his hair dry and wrapped the towel around his waist as he stepped back into what was now his room. Gaara could smell something cooking as he changed and it made his stomach rumble. He was apparently much hungrier than he had thought once again.

He opened his door with the intent to discover what exactly that tasty smell was only to find something large and black blocking his path: Mohegan.

Gaara looked down at the animal and saw that it was sitting outside his room looking up at him expectantly yet casually. Gaara had a feeling that Mohegan was intent on starting his tests right away.

Without Mika however Gaara had no idea what Mohegan wanted at that moment so he decided he'd have to go off of pure instinct with this. Instinct and a shred of memory told him that the dog, wolfdog, whatever was challenging his dominance by simply staring up at him like that with the intent of being an obstacle. In response instinct also told him that he'd have to make Mohegan move out of his way, since simply going around him was a submissive act of avoidance. To remedy this Gaara once again found himself shifting his normal look into one demanding respect and obedience. Mohegan apparently got the idea as he stood up and moved out of the red head's way.

Mika stood cooking at the stove as she saw her red headed guest walk in followed by Mohegan. This was slightly surprising but still welcome. If Mohegan was following Gaara instead of trying to pass him it was a good sign. She really didn't need another repeat of the incident with her ex. Gaara had apparently changed into the pair of red PJ bottoms they bought with a white T shirt. He stopped and looked at her as she cooked for a moment before sitting down at the island in the kitchen.

Gaara had noticed that Mika did indeed change into PJs after she showered and was wearing a pair of dark brown bottoms and a red top as she cooked. The food smelled excellent and only then did Gaara realize _how_ hungry he was. The last thing he had eaten had been that sandwich Mika had given him and before that had been something that had been shoved before him that morning before he went to work.

"Feel better?" she asked after a few minutes of silence while adding some kind of seasoning to the pan.

"Yes." He stated and Mohegan looked up at him in silent judgement, the tags in his collar tinkling as he did, "I do. Thank you."

She walked over and served dinner a few minutes later at the table in the small dining area. Gaara had to admit that whatever it was she had fed him was good. He wasn't too sure what to call it, although he did figure that asking her what it was might offend her in some way, but it was good. They made small talk over dinner and she asked various questions about what his world was like and he asked some about her world.

"Gaara, I can't give you an in depth history lesson. There's far too much." She stated at one point.

"Fine, but why is it called a Melting Pot?"

"Because all nationalities mix here…more than other places. It's hard to explain without giving you an in depth history."

"What do you mean nationalities mix here?"

"Don't you have trade and relations with different nations and countries in your world?" Mika asked, almost in disbelief.

"Yes, but there is no country called a Melting Pot." He stated, wondering how what he thought was a simple question could have such a complicated answer.

"Ok…umm…you are from Suna. You identify yourself as being from Suna and of Suna. People from other countries say you're a Suna-whatever, Sunanite, Suna-ese, whatever the term is."

"Sand Shinobi is usually what we are identified as."

"Whatever. In your country, you're known as the same. _I_ am identified as an American in other countries; _however_, to other people in my country I am also Japanese and _Native_ American. Native American meaning of the indigenous peoples of this continent." She stated, deciding that she was _not_ getting into individual tribes with him since she was no where near being in the mood to answer the accompanying questions.

Luckily for Mika, Gaara was starting to sense his nonstop questioning on this point was frustrating her. In response he switched to a different topic of discussion. He was quite surprised at her willingness to answer so many of his questions even if they annoyed her after a bit. Overall the Kazekage discovered that he enjoyed her company very much even though he thought she was far too trusting.

"Gaara…don't ask me why again. It's getting old." She said after dinner as she cleaned up the kitchen, cutting him off just as he was about to ask why she let him in…_again_.

Gaara's only response was a look that hinted at him possibly stopping if she came up with a better answer. Her response was to give him one.

"You have no money. Right?" she asked while drying off a dish.

"I have no money that this place would accept as viable currency so: No."

"You have nothing but what you appeared here with. Right?"

"Correct." He stated simply wondering what she was getting at.

"You know what frostbite, hypothermia, and exposure are, right?"

"Yes. I do." He stated getting slightly annoyed until she answered.

"It's early November, Gaara. Autumn is ending and winter is beginning. The nights are cold and frost forms quickly. If I left you out there you would have frozen to death most likely. _Even_ _if_ you managed to make it out of the woods you wouldn't be able to rent a room to stay in since you have no money, no job, no ID…no nothing." She stated and he was starting to get the point as she said it, "I couldn't consciously leave you out there to potentially die."

"Fine. I understand. Thank you. It's just…" he trailed off, trying to figure out how to word what he was going to say next.

"You can never be too careful about people's intentions." Mika stated, repeating what he had said earlier and he nodded.

"Exactly. You have no way of knowing what I will or will not do and I have no way of knowing what _you_ will or will not do." He said and she looked at him calmly.

"I was taught one thing by my father that I still live by. That was to trust my instincts. The few times I _didn't_ do that I now wish that I _did_. My instincts tell me that you're a good man that isn't a homicidal, axe murderer bent on death and destruction. Even if you _were_ at one time, as you seem to be alluding to, you aren't _now_ and that is what matters. If all you do is sit there and dwell on what happened in the past there is absolutely no hope for you to move on to the future." She stated obviously exasperated with his constant skepticism and wariness, "I suppose if you want me to be more like a total paranoid, raccoon-esque ninja, who shall not be named, I _could_ kick you into the basement for the entirety of your stay with nothing but whatever food I see fit to throw at your head in the form of heavy canned items."

"I haven't thrown anything at you." He stated; he was rather amused by this outburst of hers although he was surprised as he had not expected it.

"That's not the point, Gaara, and you know it. The point is you need to relax and be thankful you have a warm place to stay with food included."

"You forgot to mention the interesting company." He stated still rather amused at all this and even more so when she rolled her eyes and left the dining area to go feed Mohegan and Kisinaa, "_Very_ interesting company."

**Author's Note: Chapter 3 all done. Chapter 4 is on its way. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and the story so far. Feel free to leave me a review or message. I adore feedback that helps me improve.**


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